The administration said it had hired 200 inspectors to stop “uncivilised behaviour” and one in charge of the hot spring section had been punished.

The section would be closed and enforcement stepped up, the report quoted the administration as saying.

Meanwhile, a vandal who spray-painted his name throughout the Guaishishan Scenic Area in Beijing’s Fangshan district over the Mid-Autumn Festival break has apologised for the graffiti, the Legal Evening News reports.

Staff said a 53-year-old man who sprayed “Chen Zhicheng” in red paint in dozens of spots in the park known for its unusual rock formations contacted park management on Saturday.

He said he was into climbing but, being 53, feared he might not climb so high again and wanted to leave a mark, according to the report.